Senator Dwayne M. DeGraff stated he was concerned about the status of our Police Department, Fire Services and Bureau of Corrections now that a law that extended the mandatory retirement age in these agencies to 63 is about to sunset on October 1, 2021.
DeGraff had brought legislation to make the law permanent as these agencies are experiencing shortages in staff. However, the measure has not had an opportunity to be acted on despite his attempts to special order it twice. Also, it has not yet been given a date to be heard in the Committee of Finance, to which it was assigned.
“The sunset of the law impacts the staffing of these agencies in terms of retirement of personnel,” DeGraff said. “Despite the hurdles faced, I am committed to still working on the legislation to ensure that experienced staff can be maintained while new hires are sought.”